Don't put ankle weights on your jokes

7 Ways to make serious topics funnier

Audiences don’t know if they’re supposed to laugh at a joke about tap dancing three minutes into a story about how you got your foot amputated.

Got your attention? Let me clarify…

You've just finished telling a heartfelt story about losing your grandmother, and then immediately crack a joke about funeral costs. The audience shifts uncomfortably. What went wrong?

You violated the emotional contract.

It's like being at a formal dinner and then pushing someone into the pool—they came dressed for one experience and got ambushed by another.

When you kick off your speech, you are not just sharing information, you’re setting the emotional thermostat for the room. (Men usually turn it down :) )

Sudden temperature changes make everyone uncomfortable—except in speaking, they're not arguing about the electric bill, they're just not laughing at your jokes.

If you open with a long run on something deep and somber, like the 3 D’s - death, dismemberment & disease… and then try for a laugh a few minutes in…

You’re putting ankle weights on that funny line.

You’re making it do more work than it should be expected to, and it’s going to quit on you.

“You’re expecting me to follow 2 minutes of colon cancer? I’m out!”

Well, jokes don’t have reactions, but audiences do… and they don’t tap out in situations like that,

BUT they do get confused. And a confused mind doesn’t laugh. (h/t Darren Lacroix)

Good speeches incorporate a wide range of emotions. Which is why the opening of your speech is crucial for many reasons, especially when you are dealing with a serious topic.

If you open too seriously, the audience will default to “not funny.”

Look, no one says you must have humor in your speech, but in my group coaching sessions, I see that EVERYONE wants some humor in their speech. And if the topic of your speech is serious, and you want to still get some laughs, you need to set the expectation that there will be humor, as one of my coach-ees succinctly put it…

“You need to give the audience permission to laugh.”

If you are ready to get laughs without confusing your audience, please read on:

7 Ways you can give your audience Permission to Laugh

and not bum out your audience!

NOTE: All these tactics can be used for speeches on “dry” topics as well. (I’m looking at you, leadership, financial planning and project management methodologies.)

Start Funny

Start with a humorous line within the first 30 seconds. Even if it only gets a giggle, you've established that there will be some humor.

Example for a Speech about Mental Health: "Before we talk about depression and anxiety—my therapist thought public speaking would help. If I suddenly disappear behind this podium, I'm still making progress. Keep clapping.”

Video Example: Luisa Montalvo’s WCPS speech about a near death experience. She sets up a life and death situation AND gets a thunderous laugh in 30 seconds. In fact, the humor and the seriousness of the topic work together to create a killer (!) opening for a speech that opens the audience up to the widest range of emotions.

Use self-deprecation

Self-deprecating humor works well with serious topics because it directs the humor at yourself, not the sensitive subject.

Example: "After researching cancer treatments for a year, I became so paranoid I diagnosed myself with fourteen different diseases after a paper cut."

The Serious-with-a-Twist Opener

Open with something that sounds serious but ends on a humorous twist.

Example: "The five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and realizing they were the only one who knew the password to Netflix." (h/t Linda-Marie Miller)

Connect through common experiences

Use universal frustrations / experiences related to your serious topic that everyone can relate to.

Example: "Oncology waiting rooms only stock magazines from years ago—nothing says “We care about your health” like reading about Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's breakup - the first one."

The Metaphor Method

Use a metaphor throughout your speech that can be referenced for both serious points and humorous moments.

Example: "Cancer treatment is like dating—it's exhausting, sometimes painful, occasionally nauseating, and you never know if it's going to work out in the end."

The Rule of Three Flip

Set up two serious examples followed by an unexpected humorous third item.

Example: "Diabetes affects your energy levels, your dietary choices, and your ability to eat an entire pint of ice cream without feeling profoundly guilty."

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If you feel like your speaking skills have hit a plateau, it might be time to invest in some 1:1 humor coaching. My speaking coachees win contests, get noticed, and command increased fees. My business coachees convert more prospects to clients and make more money. I’m offering discounts for Stagetime University members through the end of April. If you keep doing the same things, you’ll keep getting the same results. Try something new. Hit me up for a free discovery call @ chrismcguire@humordetector.com

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Be clear when you switch tones

Note: This tactic is mostly useful in the body of the speech…

Use these types of verbal cues before switching from serious to humorous moments.

"On a lighter note..." or "Not to make light of this serious issue, but..."

These phrases work like traffic signals for your audience's emotions. They tell people 'It's okay to laugh now' even when you're talking about something heavy.

Apply these tactics to decrease the risk of confusing or bumming out your audience and give them permission to laugh.

The best, easiest tactic is my secret weapon and it’s just for my paid subscribers, beyond the paywall…